Coastal fish assemblages were studied to assess two sorts of human impacts in southwestern Apulia (SE Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Fish assemblages were evaluated by visual census along two rocky locations impacted by a sewage outfall discharging nearshore (S) and by date-mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) fisheries (F), respectively, and at two control locations (Cs). Multivariate analyses showed that fish assemblage structures at S and F differed from those at Cs. Asymmetric ANOVAs indicated that species richness were significantly lower both at S (similar to 27%) and at F (similar to 35%) compared with Cs. Total fish abundance was 5- to 7-fold higher at S than at Cs, while the values recorded at F were comparable to those of Cs. At S, average abundances of planktivorous fish and POM feeders were higher, and those of labrids and sparids of the genus Diplodus were lower, respectively, than at Cs. Labrids of the genus Symphodus and small serranids were significantly less abundant at F than Cs. Data suggested that coastal fish respond to the impact caused by the sewage discharge and provided a framework to assess potential benefits of its future displacement to deeper waters. For the first time, moreover, this study provided suggestive evidence that the habitat destruction caused by the illegal date-mussel fisheries may affect fish assemblages.

Coastal fish indicate human-induced changes in the Mediterranean littoral

TERLIZZI, ANTONIO;
2002-01-01

Abstract

Coastal fish assemblages were studied to assess two sorts of human impacts in southwestern Apulia (SE Italy, Mediterranean Sea). Fish assemblages were evaluated by visual census along two rocky locations impacted by a sewage outfall discharging nearshore (S) and by date-mussel (Lithophaga lithophaga) fisheries (F), respectively, and at two control locations (Cs). Multivariate analyses showed that fish assemblage structures at S and F differed from those at Cs. Asymmetric ANOVAs indicated that species richness were significantly lower both at S (similar to 27%) and at F (similar to 35%) compared with Cs. Total fish abundance was 5- to 7-fold higher at S than at Cs, while the values recorded at F were comparable to those of Cs. At S, average abundances of planktivorous fish and POM feeders were higher, and those of labrids and sparids of the genus Diplodus were lower, respectively, than at Cs. Labrids of the genus Symphodus and small serranids were significantly less abundant at F than Cs. Data suggested that coastal fish respond to the impact caused by the sewage discharge and provided a framework to assess potential benefits of its future displacement to deeper waters. For the first time, moreover, this study provided suggestive evidence that the habitat destruction caused by the illegal date-mussel fisheries may affect fish assemblages.
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11368/2900509
 Avviso

Attenzione! I dati visualizzati non sono stati sottoposti a validazione da parte dell'ateneo

Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 84
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 80
social impact